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LISTEN
NOW! (Or WATCH FULL PROGRAM!) As the President continues his 5 Country Tour in Asia, he delivers a riveting
and resounding speech to the National Assembly in
Seoul, Republic of Korea. As the President expresses the many accolades and
achievements of the South Korean people, he also unmistakably speaks with
clarity and seriousness regarding the actions of North Korea. Without a doubt, the
President effectively uses this opportunity to demonstrate that this
Administration is clearly NOT like any past Administration.
In the
President’s beginning remarks, he highlights the long history between South
Korea and the United States and how their militaries have fought side by side
against the forces of Communism. “Driven back at times, they willed their way
north to form the
line that today divides the oppressed and the free. And there, American and
South Korean troops have remained together holding that line for nearly seven
decades.” In the coming years after the wars in Korea, South Korea
rebounded rapidly. “Family by family, city by city, the people of South Korea built this
country into what is today one of the great nations of the world. And I
congratulate you. In less than one lifetime, South Korea climbed from total
devastation to among the wealthiest nations on Earth.” It is nothing
slight of a miracle that this has taken place.
As the
President shares the hope and celebration of the growing economy in America, he
points out the achievements of low unemployment, growing Stock Market and
victories of ISIS. He highlights the growing U.S. Military, its presence in the
region and his take on defense; “I want peace through strength”. Simply positioning military is not the only answer,
the President understands that the relationship between our two nations is
paramount. “I know that the Republic of Korea, which has become a tremendously
successful nation, will be a faithful ally of the United States very long into
the future.”
In this
celebratory fervor, he understands that South Koreans have much to celebrate as
well regarding their culture. “The proud, sovereign, and independent
people of your nation demanded the right to govern themselves. You secured free
parliamentary elections in 1988, the same year you hosted your first Olympics. Soon
after, you elected your first civilian president in more than three decades.” The
President continues, “And when the Republic you won faced financial crisis, you lined up by
the millions to give your most prized possessions -- your wedding rings,
heirlooms, and gold "luck keys" -- to restore the promise of a better
future for your children.”
As the economy
of South Korea has achieved milestone after milestone, the South Korean people
have also been recognized throughout many different industries. ”You've pushed the boundaries of technology,
pioneered miraculous medical treatments, and emerged as leaders in unlocking the
mysteries of our universe. Korean authors penned roughly 40,000 books this
year. Korean musicians fill concert halls all around the world. Young Korean
students graduate from college at the highest rates of any country. And Korean
golfers are some of the best on Earth.” There is success, achievement,
and recognition all throughout South Korea. But, the further North one travels,
an undeniable difference of reality is seen when looking at what has taken place
within the borders of North Korea. As the President explains, “the
flourishing ends, and the prison state of North Korea sadly begins.”
The President
begins to detail, line by line, horrible atrocities that the North Korean people
endure, forced upon them by the oppressive regime of their leadership. “Recently,
the entire working population was ordered to work for 70 days straight, or else
pay for a day of rest.” The regime continues to neglect the desperate
needs of their people while continuing to fund their own twisted regime. ”More
than a million North Koreans died of famine in the 1990s, and more continue to
die of hunger today. Among children under the age of five, nearly 30 percent of
afflicted -- and are afflicted by stunted growth due to malnutrition.” When
we learn how the regime spent the money it did have, hearts will genuinely be
saddened. The President explains, “in 2012 and 2013, the regime spent an estimated
$200 million -- or almost half the money that it allocated to improve living
standards for its people -- to instead build even more monuments, towers, and statues
to glorify its dictators.”
The North
Korean regime demands rigorous and absolute obedience by its people. Those who
comply, live in the capital city of Pyongyang, while those who do not, suffer
in the most decrepit conditions. How does the regime know who complies and who
does not, based on their “citizen score”? “Far from valuing its people as equal
citizens, this cruel dictatorship measures them, scores them, and ranks them
based on the most arbitrary indications of their allegiance to the state.” As
the President points out, the suffering experienced by the North Korean people
cannot be understated. “An estimated 100,000 North Koreans suffer
in gulags, toiling in forced labor, and enduring torture, starvation, rape, and
murder on a constant basis.”
These realities
are happening based on who agrees with the regime, and who does not. The topic
of faith points to a whole new paradigm. “In the part of Korea that was a stronghold for
Christianity before the war, Christians and other people of faith who are
found praying or holding a religious book of any kind are now detained, tortured,
and in many cases, even executed.” It is simply a totalitarian
government. In response, President Trump asks this applicable question; “So
why would China feel an obligation to help North Korea?”
While it
is a crime for a North Korean citizen to attempt to leave North Korea, the
methods that some are willing to take to escape life under this cruel regime is
simple heart breaking. “The horror of life in North Korea is so
complete that citizens pay bribes to government officials to have themselves
exported aboard as slaves.” The President continues, “They
would rather be slaves than live in North Korea. To attempt to flee is a crime
punishable by death. One person who escaped remarked, ‘When I think about it
now, I was not a human being. I was more like an animal. Only after leaving
North Korea did I realize what life was supposed to be.’”
The stark
difference between these two cultures within the borders of the Korean Peninsula
is undeniable. “It is a tale of one people, but two Koreas. One Korea in which the
people took control of their lives and their country, and chose a future of
freedom and justice, of civilization, and incredible achievement. And another
Korea in which leaders imprison their people under the banner of tyranny,
fascism, and oppression. The result of this experiment are in, and they are
totally conclusive.” Could the differences of these two nations be any
further apart?
While the culture
of the South Koreans continues to soar, reaching new heights and achievements,
the President explains how the regime of North Korea refuses to allow their
citizens to travel to South Korea, or allow any South Korean or Western
influence upon their culture. Because of the required allegiance to the dictatorship,
citizens resort to spying upon one another. President Trump sums up life within
North Korea in this quivering reality, “North Korea is a country ruled as a cult.”
The President continues, “At the center of this military cult is a deranged
belief in the leader's destiny to rule as parent protector over a conquered
Korean Peninsula and an enslaved Korean people.”
As the President
continues to expose the unquestionably evil regime of North Korea, he begins to
turn the attention to North Korea’s refusal to halt their nuclear tests, and America’s
unwavering position on confronting Kim jung-Un. The President pointedly states
and admonishes North Korea not to mistakenly assume the United State’s stance
on the matter. “The regime has interpreted America's past restraint as weakness. This
would be a fatal miscalculation.” The President continues to emphasize the
seriousness of his point. “This is a very different administration
than the United States has had in the past.”
In the
President’s closing remarks, he underscores the deep ties with South Korea, and
the reminder that the strategies of yesterday toward North Korea are over. ”That
is why I have come here, to the heart of a free and flourishing Korea, with a message
for the peace-loving nations of the world: The time for excuses is over. Now is
the time for strength. If you want peace, you must stand strong at all times.”
The President understands that this is not simply a matter involving solely
South Korea, or the United States and North Korea, but all nations. “All
responsible nations must join forces to isolate the brutal regime of North
Korea -- to deny it and any form -- any form of it. You cannot support, you
cannot supply, you cannot accept.” With this in mind, President Trump
invites North Korea’s closest neighbors to join in the fight to end this
rebellious regime. ”We call on every nation, including China and Russia, to fully
implement U.N. Security Council resolutions, downgrade diplomatic relations
with the regime, and sever all ties of trade and technology. It
is our responsibility and our duty to confront this danger together -- because
the longer we wait, the greater the danger grows, and the fewer the options
become.”
These days
are critical to understand the urgency and importance that war very easily can
erupt in this region of the world. Considering the many allies that the United
States has in this region, we could find ourselves in a nuclear conflict if
North Korea we to engage in a conflict with our allies. We must remain prayerful
for our President, for his safety and the entire Cabinet, as well as Godly
wisdom to be upon him during these precarious times. See the full statements
from President Trump during this iconic speech, and so much more. Also shared
in this segment: President Donald Trump, The Trump Administration, The White
House, President Trump’s 5 Country Asian Tour, Seoul South Korea, The Korean
Peninsula, The Korean War, nuclear warfare, nuclear weapons, nuclear testing, The
United Nations, Kim jung-Un, Pyongyang North Korea, persecution of Christians, persecution
of the Church, hope, truth, trade deficits, trade relationships, 23rd Olympic
Winter Games, the Republic of Korea, and leadership. John and Steve shared in
this segment.
xxxxxx
screen capture from youtube.com/The White House
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